Chương 130: Chapter 130: Methods to Cover Fingerprints (23)
Akikawa Kyousuke didn't eat anything this morning; he only drank a little water.
Because Akikawa Kyousuke anticipated what might happen today, he deliberately reduced his blood sugar levels by skipping meals.
Akikawa Kyousuke's physical condition wasn't the best—he easily felt dizzy if he skipped breakfast.
But a benefit of lowering his blood sugar was that it made him look paler.
Akikawa Kyousuke believed this pallor could confuse Toda Kyouji's judgment.
He would assume that Akikawa's pale face was due to panic after being exposed.
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After "having breakfast" with Misaki Itakura and heading together to the film festival exhibition area, Akikawa Kyousuke returned to his room.
This time, he went back to prepare for a possible setup in advance.
Akikawa Kyousuke considered that Toda Kyouji didn't have enough influence to prevent him from revealing the truth.
So, things couldn't be as straightforward as with Koichi Nishihara and Ohga Takao.
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When trying to plant the "murder weapon" set up by Uda Kousji, he couldn't leave traces of himself having touched it.
The most critical point was to cover his fingerprints and palm prints.
This is where the candles and lighters obtained from Ohga Takao came into play.
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Although Akikawa Kyousuke wasn't restricted in his movements and could freely go to a supermarket or convenience store to purchase the necessary items for his plan, he chose not to.
He didn't want to leave behind any hidden risks.
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If he entered or exited a store, there would undoubtedly be surveillance footage as evidence.
What if detectives or police officers suspected he had deliberately covered his fingerprints and decided to review the surveillance?
This would expose him to significant risk.
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The safest option was to use items already at hand to cover his fingerprints.
When paraffin is heated and applied to the hands, it forms a wax film that can conceal fingerprints.
A benefit of paraffin is that it can be removed simply by scraping it off with nails.
However, paraffin's main disadvantage is its low durability.
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For Akikawa Kyousuke's plan to frame the crime and make it work seamlessly, he not only needed to avoid leaving traces on the murder weapon but also had to ensure Toda Kyouji ended up touching it.
Akikawa Kyousuke knew Toda Kyouji wouldn't let him die and would definitely intervene to stop him.
In that scenario, if Toda Kyouji grabbed his hand and forcibly held the murder weapon, merely coating his fingerprints with paraffin wouldn't be sufficient.
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Due to paraffin's low resistance, it could easily be damaged by friction or pressure, leaving marks that would raise suspicions among detectives.
Therefore, Akikawa Kyousuke needed to strengthen the paraffin layer covering his fingerprints and palm.
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This is what Akikawa Kyousuke did upon returning to the hotel after breakfast.
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Paraffin wax is composed of hydrocarbons and has a linear or branched long-chain chemical structure.
By mixing it with saturated fatty acids, the long-chain structures of these acids and the hydrocarbon chains in paraffin intertwine, creating stronger intermolecular forces, significantly increasing the melting point and hardness.
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Additionally, ester components can make the molecular structure of the wax more complex, improving its strength and resistance to wear.
All these items can be found in daily life, meaning Akikawa Kyousuke could obtain them without needing to visit a supermarket.
The primary component of the candle Akikawa Kyousuke held was paraffin.
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The other two items he chose to enhance the paraffin's strength were skin cream and lip balm.
Skin cream contains stearic acid, a long-chain saturated fatty acid.
Lip balm contains beeswax, composed of esters, fatty acids, and long-chain alcohols.
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By combining these three substances in a specific ratio, heating, mixing, and cooling them, he could create a stronger "blended wax."
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Akikawa Kyousuke didn't apply the blended wax across his entire palms.
Instead, he coated specific areas: the thumb and index finger of his left hand, and the base of the four fingers (excluding the thumb) on his right hand.
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When Akikawa Kyousuke removed the dagger from the evidence bag, he used only his left thumb and index finger.
When gripping the dagger with both hands to stab himself, his right hand was positioned as if holding the weapon.
But in reality, the left thumb hidden within his right palm and the base of his right fingers secured the weapon.
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These carefully chosen areas were enough to handle the dagger without leaving fingerprints or palm prints, thanks to the blended wax.
Even if Toda Kyouji grabbed his hands while stopping him, there would be no incriminating marks.
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When someone knocked on the door outside, Akikawa Kyousuke recognized the moment had come.
He immediately withdrew, pulled the dagger out while Toda Kyouji was momentarily distracted, and released his grip on the weapon.
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This maneuver caused the dagger to land in Toda Kyouji's hands.
To those outside, it would appear as though Toda Kyouji had pulled the dagger from Akikawa Kyousuke's neck.
Toda Kyouji, realizing he had touched the weapon, would be incriminated.
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Later, when the forensic team found no fingerprints on the dagger, they would suspect it had been wiped clean.
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To counter this possibility, when Conan was controlling the bleeding, Akikawa Kyousuke deliberately gripped Conan's left arm with his right hand, now smeared with blood.
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Since Akikawa Kyousuke had applied the blended wax only to specific parts of his palm, his untreated fingers left clear prints on Conan's clothing.
Although there were no palm prints where the wax was applied, the spreading blood ensured a visible mark where pressure was applied.
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Thus, Akikawa Kyousuke could easily prove his right hand had nothing suspicious on it.
If Toda Kyouji claimed otherwise, his lie would be exposed.
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In this way, the narrative shifted from a fabricated suicide to frame Toda Kyouji, to a scenario where Toda Kyouji attempted murder and sought to cover up the truth.
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Finally, how would Akikawa Kyousuke remove the enhanced blended wax from his hands?
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Because the wax was much stronger than ordinary paraffin, it couldn't be scraped off with nails.
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There were two effective ways to remove it:
1. Heating the wax again to soften it.
2. Using ethanol to dissolve some components and make it pliable.
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As someone injured by a dagger, Akikawa Kyousuke couldn't heat the wax himself.
But excessive blood loss would prompt rescuers to connect him to a pulse oximeter.
Before doing so, medical alcohol would be used to clean his palms of grease, dirt, or blood.
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Medical alcohol is essentially a 75% ethanol solution.
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(End of Chapter)
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